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Solar Power Inverter

The inverter is one of the most important parts of any solar power system.

In order to supply electricity to the home, most home solar systems work by a sequence in which solar panels transfer power to batteries, with the batteries then supplying the electricity to the home.  Solar panels do not produce power in the dark, so this arrangement ensures that power is still available even when the sun isn’t out.  Both solar panels and batteries deal in Direct Current (DC) electricity.  This has to be converted to Alternating Current (AC), which is used by appliances in the home.  The conversion from DC to AC is handled by the inverter.

When it comes to inverters, there are two basic types: Modified Sine Wave (MSW) and True Sine Wave (TSW).  Of the two, MSW inverters are the more limited type, as they only convert DC electricity into the most basic form of AC power.  Some types of appliances experience problems with MSW inverters.  For example, stereo equipment may give off a noticeable hum when used with MSW inverters.  TSW inverters don’t suffer from these difficulties, and so they are generally the best option for homeowners.

It’s fairly easy to take care of an inverter once you’re up and running.  Avoid having the inverter in the same box as the batteries, but make sure it’s otherwise as close to them as possible.  Make sure that the wire connecting the batteries to the inverter isn’t too small.  The correct size will most likely be provided in the inverter documentation.  It’s good to have a fuse on all wires to and from the inverter.  As is the case with any electrical appliance, the inverter must not be exposed to moisture or extreme temperatures.

Solar power inverters are known to experience a couple of common problems.  The first problem is RF interference.  When they’re running, all inverters give off some radio noise.  The simplest way to deal with this problem is to keep any receiver as far away from the inverter as possible.  Another solution is to use a battery powered radio, the batteries for which can be recharged at any time through the solar power system.

The other problem is a lot less obvious: phantom loads.  This refers to the electricity that is used by certain electronic devices, such as many new TVs, while they’re turned off.  Since they’re always using power, these devices prevent inverters from going to sleep.  The inverters then add to the problem of wasted energy, as they’re always in active mode.  Usually, this problem can be addressed through the use of a power strip with an on/off switch.  This will prevent the devices from draining power from your system while the power strip is turned off.

To know more about the most recent technological improvement being offered in solar panel systems, visit Solar Micro Inverter.

For the finest guide to building your own solar panels, including detailed instructions and step-by-step videos, go to Build Your Own Solar Panel.

 

 

How do I connect my stereo audio speakers to my digital audio input on my TV.?

I have a cheap speaker system consisting of a subwoofer and two small speakers. The main control on the system has a single cable (green) that is supposed to plug in to wherever. Right now I just plug it into my iPod/Laptop. I want to connect it to my TV but my TV only has a connection for a digital audio cable. How do I connect these speakers to my TV?

Your TV should have both a digital and an analog audio output. The analog audio should be in the form of an RCA (red and white) connector. A simple 3.5mm stereo-mini plug to RCA adapter should do the trick.

http://www.gigaweb.com/products/view/18137/6-3-5mm-stereo-mini-to-dual-cable.html

If your TV does not have an RCA audio out connection, then you have a slight problem and you would need more specialized equipment to do the digital to analog conversion for the analog stereo-mini plug on your stereo system.